


What Goes Up, Must Come Down

by 2x2



Category: Firefly, Serenity (2005)
Genre: F/M, Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-09
Updated: 2016-01-09
Packaged: 2018-05-12 22:31:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5683342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/2x2/pseuds/2x2
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Originally posted to LiveJournal on August 28, 2007</p><p>Co-Author: Terimaru</p><p>
  <i>We present to you a fluffy bit of fun, based on an RP challenge to write Drunk!Mal/Inara. Despite our best efforts to just have them drunk, silly, and having fun; they ended up taking things into their own hands.</i>
</p><hr/>
    </blockquote>





	What Goes Up, Must Come Down

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted to LiveJournal on August 28, 2007
> 
> Co-Author: Terimaru
> 
> _We present to you a fluffy bit of fun, based on an RP challenge to write Drunk!Mal/Inara. Despite our best efforts to just have them drunk, silly, and having fun; they ended up taking things into their own hands._
> 
> * * *

Inara stifled a giggle as Mal tripped over an extended support brace in the dark, a string of mandarin curses spewing from somewhere near her knees.

"Are you okay?" she asked, feeling around for him blindly. "You know, I really think we need some lights out here if we're going to do this, Mal."  
  
"Rather not have the whole crew out here, 'Nara. Bad enough I let you talk me into this," Mal groused as he managed to get his feet under him. The engine wine they'd been drinking didn't seem to have helped matters.  
  
"Don't you blame this on me!" she cried, helping him up and dusting his coat off. "You're the one who said it was criminal to have never been on one of these things, not me! Speaking of criminal, aren't these supposed to be delivered in their original packaging?"

"Yeah, supposed to be but shippin' accidents happen every day. If they won't take it, we'll sell it ourselves come next planet. Main thing is to get it wrapped back up before Kaylee and River see it."

An indelicate snort escaped her and she smiled as she grasped Mal's arms to steady herself, her knees bending with the bounce of the stretchy material beneath her feet.

"Gimme that," Mal said as he tugged Inara's silk wrap from around her shoulders suddenly.

"Hey!" she complained with an inebriated-enhanced whine, wrapping her arms around herself . "It's cold!"

He removed his coat and threw it - and her wrap - over the side onto the grass, despite her protests. "It'll get in the way," he explained. "'sides, you'll warm up quick enough." Now that he was getting used to it, he remembered how much fun a trampoline could be. A slight smile curved his lips as he started bouncing slowly and then gradually higher. A laugh escaped him before he could help it and he reached out to grab Inara's hand, pulling her to the center with him. "Ain't been on one of these in near twenty years I 'spect. Last time was at a birthday shindig back on Shadow," he recalled.  
  
Inara bit back a shriek as they bounced even higher, laughing at herself. "Okay," Inara said, clinging to his hands. "Now what are we supposed to do?"  
  
"Doin' it," he laughed, pushing off harder so that they were bouncing several feet in the air. "You just jump. Course, when you're good, you can turn flips and such, but you should just get used to it first."  
  
She slid her hands down into Mal's, her bouncing slowly becoming irregular to his so that eventually they were bouncing opposite each other like a seesaw. "All right then, mister trampoline pirate," she giggled a few minutes later, "let's see some of that fancy jumping."  
  
"Well, now...before I start showin' off, I'll teach you a trick or two," Mal grinned, enjoying her laughter and the sight of her child-like delight. One unsold crate was worth it to give her this kind of pleasure, he thought. Could be tomorrow he’d let the other girls play on it as well, but tonight he was going to enjoy his time with Inara. He grabbed her as she was coming down, pulling her tight against him and kicking them both back up.

"More fun if we stay this way," he assured her with a slightly inebriated grin. "On three, we're gonna sit down, and then we'll bounce back up. Ready?"  
  
She smirked at his grin, raising an eyebrow but she didn't protest, enjoying the feel of him up close. She didn’t know about this sitting down thing, but seeing him like this, so carefree and happy, letting himself have fun; she'd try anything. Her smile widening, she leaned forward and pressed her lips against his in a quick kiss for luck.

"Ready," she agreed, nodding and grinning.  
  
Later he'd blame the kiss for making him stumble. He hadn't even had time to start the count before they were falling, a tangle of skirts around their feet. Mal landed first and tried to rebound, but his boots were trapped in fabric and he ended up in a bouncing, twisted pile of limbs with a laughing Inara lying on top of him. He grinned up at her, pleased with her happiness.  
  
“Well, that could have gone better,” he admitted.  
  
Inara lifted her head from Mal's chest and smiled down at him. "I don't know," she said, still giggling. "I think that might depend on your point of view."  
  
He untangled a hand and brushed a long curl behind her ear, then softly trailed his finger down her cheek to the dimple at the corner of her mouth.

“Ain’t complainin’ none about the view,” he said, his smile slowly dying as he studied her face.  
  
Her smile softened as she leaned into his touch. A glint came into her eye and she smirked slightly.

"Aren't' we supposed to be... bouncing?" she asked, giving a subtle shift of her hips against him.  
  
Mal caught his breath and placed his free hand on her waist, unconsciously responding to her movements. He moved slightly to align their bodies, sighing as her breasts pressed into his chest.  
  
“Seems like I did mention somethin’ about sittin’ down and bouncin’ back up, but I ain't adverse to a change of plans if you’re not,” he joked, rubbing a light circle on the small of her back.  
  
"Up, down..." She let herself settle against him more firmly and raised an eyebrow. "Up," she said, coyly. "Sounds like a good idea to me."  
  
“Huh,” he breathed, sliding his hand back into her hair and pulling her face close to his, “that’s what I call a coincidence.” He stroked her cheek with his thumb, her skin as soft as _si_ beneath its rough surface.  
  
Her eyes fluttered closed, feeling the gentle sway of the trampoline beneath them, and she let her forehead rest against his a moment, breathing slowly. "I think we're both a little bit drunk, Mal," she whispered, her eyes opening to meet his. "Thank Buddha," she added, finally bringing her lips to his.  
  
He moaned lightly, overwhelmed with the sensations her mouth evoked. His hand fisted lightly in her hair, holding her still for him as he turned his head slightly to deepen the kiss, lightly brushing her tongue with his, teasingly inviting her to respond to him further.  
  
Squeaking lightly, the springs of the trampoline complained as he turned her onto her side, offering his hand a chance to roam over her hip and slide down and then back up under her tangled skirt to skim along her bare thigh, his mouth never leaving hers.  
  
She laughed against his lips, her eyebrows rising as he boldly slid his hand beneath her skirt, fingertips trailing fire along the length of her thigh. He swallowed her chuckle and the same urge to feel his skin beneath her fingers burned through her. Hand slipping deftly between two buttons to press firmly against the heat of his chest, she sank into his kiss, reveling in finally experiencing such a long awaited desire. She sighed into his mouth, lips parting as her tongue curled around his. He tasted dark, as intoxicating as the engine brew they'd drunk earlier; rough but sweet.  
  
Pulling his mouth away to draw a breath, Mal looked at her in the darkness, cradled in his arm, curled against his chest, her hand working its way into his shirt. He breathed in sharply as she smoothed her palm across his stomach and their glances collided and locked. Roaming over and around her shapely hip, his hand pulled her closer into him, letting her feel his need as he lowered his mouth to press gentle kisses on her cheeks and eyelids, breathing in the exotic scent of her skin as he nuzzled another kiss into the corner of her mouth before moving his lips helplessly back to cover hers.  
  
Mal kissed with the same singleness of mind he did everything else, and while he might not be the most artful of men Inara had kissed before, the intensity and unexpected passion she felt unleashed within herself in response was unlike anything she had ever experienced before. She wanted him, oh sweet _Jesu_ she wanted him, with a desire that her clients had never kindled in her; she loved the contrast of the rough, assured roaming of Mal's hands to their gentleman's touch.

She twisted her hand against his stomach smoothly, feeling the muscles bunch and tense under her touch as she slid her fingers downward, slipping beneath the restricting waistband of his trousers, only half teasing.  
  
His stomach tightening painfully, Mal pulled his head back, breathing heavily against Inara’s mouth, his lips brushing the slickness of hers as he concentrated on the fiery feel of her hands on his skin. His eyelids dropped, memorizing every touch, every sweet taste.  
  
The hand holding her hip slid lower, tracing the curve of her bottom, his fingers flexing lightly into her flesh as he cupped her, then slid his hand down her thigh to raise it and drape her leg over his hip, leaving her open to the press of his desire. He skimmed back down her thigh, smiling against her mouth as he felt the raised flesh of goose bumps under his fingertips.  
  
“Unbutton them,” he whispered between kisses, letting his fingers trace under the lacy hem of her underwear.  
  
Inara moaned into his lips as he pressed against her and she didn't waste a second before her hand was busy working at undoing his pants. She slipped her other hand beneath his neck to bury into his hair and the moment his trousers came undone, she urged him on top of her, rolling on the trampoline until he was above her, her hand in his pants, fingers curling around the hard length of his arousal.  
  
“Inara—!” Mal cried, somewhere between a gasp and a sigh, his body harder than he could ever remember it. Trapping her hand between them as he flexed his hips, she provided a tight friction that nearly drove him out of his mind.  
  
He pressed another hard kiss to her swollen lips before tracing a path down to the soft angle where neck joined shoulder and bit her gently, thrilling to her gasp. He nuzzled into her softness, eyes closed, mouth open, lost in her and the press of her hand on his cock, slick with his excitement.  
  
Reaching for the collar of her blouse, he pulled it down, his mouth blazing a trail along the curve of her breast to fasten greedily on a dusky, peaked nipple.  
  
Her fingers tightened in his hair, back arching as his lips teased her and she let her head fall back, a groan working its way from her throat roughly. She shifted her hips restlessly beneath him, her body already more than ready, need building to an irresistible ache.

"Mal," she panted, hand dropping from his hair to move restlessly across his back. " _Tianna_ , Mal...." Releasing his erection reluctantly, she slipped her hand up and began pushing at his pants, trying to work them down past his hips.  
  
“Shhh, don’t know that we can do that out here,” he whispered, checking her hand by taking both of her arms and placing them above her head, holding them down at the wrists with one hand. He used his free hand to pull her top down to her waist, lowering his mouth to the opposite breast to lave it to the state the other was in.  
  
"We can," she protested, moaning as his hand traveled down her side, over waist and hip to slide back up the inside of her bare thigh. His fingers tunneled under a pair of barely-there lacy panties to stroke lightly over and through folds of skin before he delicately parted her, sliding one then the other finger deep into her wet heat, returning to her breasts as she began to move restlessly on his hand.  
  
The tension in her belly drew in tightly, coiling with every stroke of his fingers and every tug of his lips on her breasts, trails of shimmery, electric fire racing up and down her body, coalescing in her core, where his fingers moved inside her.

She groaned, half in pleasure, half in frustration. There was plenty of time for slow and thorough - _after_ \- she told herself, wanting to feel him inside her more than anything right now.

"Ah, gods..... Mal...." she cried breathlessly, hands clutching at his back as he drew her closer and closer to what promised to be one of her most intense orgasms ever.  
  
“Easy,” he soothed. “We will - just gotta keep an eye out,” he said, acquiescing, as anxious as she was. Loosening her wrists, Mal slid his fingers into her slick heat once more before withdrawing them. He rose up to slide a finger across her swollen lips before kissing her searching mouth, groaning at the passionate wildness of her before sliding down her twisting body. Gathering her skirt in one hand, he pushed it aside, drew the whisper of fabric down her legs, and lowered his mouth to finish what his fingers had begun.  
  
Pressing soft kisses into her thighs, he worked his way up to dip his tongue into her heat. Calloused hands gripped her, thumbs teasing over her stomach while his long fingers flexed on her hips, tilting her up for him.  
  
Inara shuddered, little gasping moans escaping at every touch of his tongue, her hands clenching into fists helplessly, lost to the sensations he aroused in her. It was rare for her to receive this pleasure, and so often it was done by her clients only as a means to prove something to themselves, her pleasure secondary to the act. But Mal's focus was solely on her, on bringing her every second closer to release, the rough sweep of his tongue broad and firm against her center, sending sharp sparks of pleasure throughout her body that burned their way through her. The tightening grew low in her belly with a building pressure that expanded to encompass her wholly and her body trembled with the hum of the release that drew near, threatening to steal her breath. One hand threaded its way through his hair, clutching tightly, her other hand reaching for his on her belly, squeezing, hips shifting beyond her control as the peak rushed up to meet her.

"Mal…. Oh,… oh… gods…. Mal!" she panted, hovering on the edge exquisitely, mouth open in a soundless moan as her body arched, impossibly tense.

When her back was bowed and her whole body humming he pressed one last kiss to her, then brushed the rough pad of his thumb over sensitive nerves to give her the extra friction she needed to shatter.  
  
An inarticulate cry ripped from her throat as she fell, the lightning strike of pleasure arcing through her, body shuddering under his continued attention, hands clutching at his shoulders, up to cover her own face and then back down to his hair, needing him to both stop and never stop.

Lifting his head for a few seconds, Mal let himself appreciate the picture she made, then his hands pulled her tighter to his face, and once more he was surrounded by her scent and taste, his tongue laving her, lips working as he held her still for him while he concentrated on bringing her over again.  
  
It was almost more than she could bear, a second orgasm building even as the tremors from the first still shook her. She had to bury her fingers in his shirt, fists clenching around the fabric in a death-grip, her eyes squeezing shut, teeth clenched as she held her breath, every muscle in her body going incredibly tight--

And then she was there, moaning what would have been a shout had she the breath to voice it, the feeling less sharp this time but all the more fierce for falling so closely on the heels of the first.

She grabbed his head, pulling his mouth away from her as she gasped for breath, stomach and breast heaving as her body shook with each quaking after-shock.  
  
Pressing kisses over her quivering stomach, Mal waited until she’d calmed, then moved up her body and spread her trembling thighs, his hand pushing at his trousers.  
  
Inara caught his face between her palms, his name spilling from her lips breathlessly as she slowed him, waiting for his eyes to meet the question in hers. _"Shì nǐ kěn dìng?"_ she asked him, wanting to be certain before they took this step, knowing what it meant to him.  
  
Mal paused, breathing heavily, then lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her softly; afraid to say anything that might give away too much. He pulled back and held her gaze.

 _"Shú dǔ nǐ?"_ he whispered, his eyes, for once, open and unguarded.  
  
Inara ran her fingers over his face, brushing her thumbs across his lips gently as she smiled.  _"Nǐ "_ she answered softly. _"Dān yī nǐ."_  
  
_"Nǎi yú shì méi cuò,"_ he affirmed solemnly, a quiet smile touching the corners of his mouth and eyes. He pulled back, reached down his body to position himself and cupped her hips to slide smoothly into her, a low, ragged groan escaping him as he pushed against tightened muscles. He paused, breathing deeply before starting a slow, measured rhythm.

Inara was liquid heat against him, boneless and fluid and he felt himself shake in her arms as her hands burned down his back leaving a trail like brands. Lowering himself to his elbows, he settled into the cradle of her hips. He cupped her face and tenderly pushed tendrils of sweat-dampened hair off her wet skin with his thumbs. Capturing her mouth, Mal kissed her slowly, losing himself in the rich, mysterious taste.  
  
Inara’s heart skipped a beat at the sound of his groan as he sank into her, body stretching to accommodate him eagerly, nerve endings singing with each, slow stroke inside her. She could hardly believe he could move so slowly, the need she felt pulsing low and deep inside her making her almost frantic for him, but every methodical press of his hips against hers sent frissons of sensation through her core that were as arousing as they were tormenting and she couldn’t help her hands that clutched at the small of his back, half holding, half urging him on.  
  
She hummed into his mouth, her tongue finding his with an erotic curl that enticed him to follow back past her lips and she welcomed him in, sucking and laving. The heat of her lower body began to coalesce again, a spiraling pull of gravity that slowly grew tighter as it coiled within her depths and a whimpering moan escaped her as her breaths edged into pants, shuddery and uneven as Mal moved in and out of her, slowly, so maddeningly slow.  
  
She tried to meet his thrusts and grunted in frustration, hampered by the giving surface of the trampoline, her hands sliding lower, nails digging into his flesh in an unmistakable message.  
  
Mal pulled gently away from her seeking mouth, gritting his teeth as he moved deeper and faster at her bidding, never taking his eyes off her face. Under him, she was beautiful in a way he’d only imagined until that moment, eyes dark, lips shining and parted, body hot and moist and tight around him. He thrust harder, smiling as she arched her back, then gasped as she locked her legs around his waist, her small heels pressing him deeper. Mal felt his body tense; muscles in his neck corded and his hands fisted on either side of her head.

The roaring in his ears and the beat of his heart drowned out her whispers as her wet heat scorched him. Pulling her with him, he shifted, his hands sliding down to grip her hips, the elastic holding her tight against him as he moved at a quicker pace. He was barely aware of where he was, only feeling and tasting Inara beneath him.

Her eyes stayed locked on his, fascinated by the swirl of emotions in their depths even as they slowly glazed over as he raced closer and closer toward his climax. She watched the play of muscles in his cheeks, his jaw, his nostrils as they flared with effort, the sweat that held his hair against his forehead, memorizing this moment.  
  
Inside her, the heat was white-hot like a furnace, a sun on the verge of going supernova, but it was secondary to the feel of him there. She wanted to feel him fall, to feel him lose control the way he never would in any other situation; could feel him holding back, knew he was there, and that all it would take…  
  
Hands lifting to bury themselves in his hair, she brought her lips to his ear, hot breath moist against his skin, voice low and breathless and yearning. “Come,” she begged. “Come for me, Mal…”.  
  
Any thoughts of holding out longer went up in smoke at the low croon that sent chills down his spine and fire ripping through his gut like a knife. With one last frantic thrust Mal felt the rush take him. Waves of pleasure grabbed him and flung him under as his climax tore through his body. He lost everything: sight, sound, smell. There was only sensation. Dark, swirling sensation that nearly jerked his soul from him as he pushed even deeper into Inara, his release flooding into her until he collapsed in her arms, sweaty, spent, and barely able to remember his own name  
.  
Inara wrapped her arms around him, holding him close as she felt her chest tighten, overwhelmed with the wave of emotion that swept over her. She’d experienced this particular intimacy many times before, but with Mal… seeing him so unguarded, so without control, to leave himself so vulnerable and let her see him… She’d known it would be different with someone she cared for, but she’d never expected to feel so much.

Squeezing her eyes against the sudden prick of moisture, she pressed her cheek to the top of his head, body trembling with his as she pulled him to her even more tightly.

His ragged breath was the only thing he could hear until he slowly quieted, her swift heart beat pounding under his ear. Raising his head weakly, he combed his fingers through her sweat-dampened hair, finding her mouth as she absorbed his tremors. Kissing her passionately, he pressed his lips to her face, throat, breasts, while her hands moved soothingly over his body, gentling him.

Mal let himself absorb the sweetness of her a moment, before meeting her gaze. They both stilled, lost each other’s eyes, brown into blue, and it was so right he could have cried were he a man given to strong emotions.

Inara reached up and wiped the moisture off his face, her fingers shaking, then pulled him down, her lips feathering across his with sweet, soft kisses before the shadows could return to his eyes.

“Well, that was a first,” she whispered, quietly. “I’ve never made love on a trampoline before,” she elaborated when he gave her a questioning look, smiling at the almost bashful look that stole over his features.

Propping his weight on an elbow, Mal reached down to curl a lock of her hair around his finger.

"Can't say I recall that either. Guess it's a night for firsts," he mused, a pleased smile touching the corner of his mouth. He turned them to their sides, still holding her close, his hand smoothing over the satiny smooth skin left uncovered by her blouse. Mal pressed a kiss to her forehead and settled back against the elastic surface of the trampoline. He knew he was quiet, but they didn't seem to need words.

“I’m glad,” she said, turning her head to stare up at the stars, leaving it for him to decipher her meaning. First time she’d made love on a trampoline; first time she’d made love to Mal; first time she’d made love to someone not a client or connected to the Guild in anyway… She wanted to remember this night and everything about it. “The stars are pretty here,” she whispered, setting into the crook of his arm snugly. She pointed up at a small constellation. “What’s that one?” she asked him. She knew, but she wanted to hear him tell her the story.

Mal fought back a yawn and focused on the sky above him, reluctantly turning his attention from Inara. A light, flower-scented breeze blew in from the north, cooling them down as it teased their disheveled clothing and dried their hair.

"That's _Ai Shāng Qíng Réns_ , the Sad Lovers," he mused, his eyes tracing each point of the constellation that looked roughly like two people sitting back to back. "Cursed to always be kept apart until they each give up their pride and make amends with the other. Don't seem like they're to that point yet, does it?" he asked quietly, unwilling to disturb the soothing night sounds around them. "I used to wonder what it was they was fightin' over to start with," he admitted.

“Pride,” Inara said. “And fear. They came from different worlds. _Wǎnqǐ_ could never understand _Zhāoqǐ’s_ love of the light, and he could never understand her love of the dark. Circling each other for all eternity like night follows day.” She traced the pattern of the Lovers on his chest, sighing softly. “I used to think their story was romantic,” she mused. “Now I only find it sad.”

Mal slid his fingers under the loose waistband of her skirt, flattening his palm over the small of her back as he mulled over her words.

"Conjure they're like us - too stubborn for their own good. Thing is, sometime's pride's all a body's got, so it's hard to turn it loose." He swirled a pattern of his own on her skin, keeping his eyes on the constellation.

"Does this mean you're stayin'?" he asked quietly.

She drew her gaze back to his face. "No," she said, covering his lips with her fingers and continuing with an explanation before he could say anything. "This doesn’t mean I'm staying. This is just an added bonus." She smiled widely, caressing his cheek to sooth his confusion. "I made the decision to stay a while ago, Mal. Before I allowed you to ply me with engine wine," she teasingly accused. "I'm not leaving," she added, growing more serious before her smile broke free again.

Mal turned to brush his lips over her hair, and pulled her closer to him. Capturing her hand with his free one, he intertwined their fingers, marveling at how small hers were against his. He tried to think of a quip, something light to say, anything to keep from betraying how her answer affected him. A feeling was bubbling up inside him that he hadn't felt in so long he hardly recognized it, and when he did it terrified him. Hope. That's what she'd given him tonight. Hope for a future - with her in it. The enormity of it humbled him.

"Kaylee will be downright giddy," he finally managed roughly.

Inara rolled here eyes. "Will she?" she asked mildly. "Then maybe it's Kaylee I should be out here with," she chided, making as though to sit up.

Mal pulled her back down with a chuckle. "Could be there are others that'll be merry, too," he acknowledged offhandedly, a smile in his voice.

She laughed, twisting in his arms until she was draped over him, pinning his hands beside his head suddenly with a triumphant grin. "Others, hmmm?" she challenged, arching a brow. "Would that be Zoe? Hmmm? _Jayne_???"

"Jayne was surly and testy with you gone, and Zoe was just plain hard to live with. They'll all be glad to know you're gonna be with me - with the crew," he corrected swiftly, "on a permanent-like basis." Then when she showed no signs of moving he added softly, "But reckon none of 'em is as happy to hear it as I am."

"That's better," she said sternly, smiling as she leaned down to soften her tone with a kiss.

"Don't tell them yet," she whispered when she finally pulled away. The crew may have been fairly certain that she and Mal would eventually get together, but she liked the idea of the two of them having their secret for a little while at least.

"Zoe will know, but we can keep it from the rest for spell," he agreed, distracted by her kiss. "I'll leave the timin' up to you, but I'd like to – need to – be with you at night," he told her softly.

Nodding wordlessly, she leaned down and kissed him again, her hand cupping his cheek gently. "I'd like that too," she said, pressing her forehead to his. "Though I don't expect it will take the crew long to uncover the truth if I'm in and out of your bunk at all hours of the night," she added ruefully. "We'll have to be careful not to be seen; sneak in when the rest of the crew's abed." She grinned, raising her eyebrows suggestively. "Much like right now, point of fact."

Mal smirked. "Conjure you've got near four hours to work your wiles on me, Miss Serra. Four and a half if you're real quiet leavin'," he informed her as he smoothed his hands down her spine and over her hips, wondering if he'd ever get his fill of this woman. "Might even be able to work in an hour or two of sleep," he mused, fighting another yawn. "Crime is a wearin' pastime."

"Sleep," Inara said, leaning in with a mischievous grin, "is for the weak."

He chuckled softly, shaking his head in mock protest as she tugged him to his feet. "'m I gonna live to regret this?" he asked as he slid over the side of the trampoline and turned to help her down.

She smirked as her feet touched the ground. "You might… If you survive," she answered, eyebrow raised in coy promise as she took his hands in hers.

Laughing, they hurried back inside, heading for Mal's bunk, and left the trampoline to the night and the stars.


End file.
